1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging system, a camera control apparatus, a panorama image generation method and a program therefor. More specifically, the position of an imaging direction of a camera in a panorama image is determined based on camera position information indicative of the imaging direction of the camera, and the panorama image is processed in such a way that the determined position becomes the center position of the image, thereby displaying the panorama image with the imaging direction being the center.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, as described in patent document 1, the image of an entire area shot by performing pan/tilt operation with a pan/tilt-capable imaging apparatus is displayed as a panorama image.
If the panorama image is formed in such a way that the center position of the image coincides with, for example, the center direction of a pan operating range and a cursor that indicates and synchronizes with an imaging direction is displayed on the panorama image, it is possible to easily determine the imaging direction. Further, for example, at the time of displaying an image of a desired position, it is possible to easily determine how to move the imaging direction, based on the panorama image and the position of the displayed cursor.
For example, assuming that an imaging apparatus 80 has an angle of view of 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 7A, a rightward pan operating range extends up to a position Prm located at “−120°” from a center position Pc as shown in FIG. 7B, and a leftward pan operating range extends up to a position Plm located at “+120°” from the center position Pc as shown in FIG. 7C, the panorama image is an image GPr showing the range of +165° to −165° as shown in FIG. 7D.
If a cursor QT indicative of the imaging direction of the imaging apparatus is displayed on such a panorama image, for example at the time of acquiring an image of a desired position, it is possible to easily determine the pan operating direction of the imaging apparatus, based on the relationship between the desired position in the panorama image and the displayed cursor position.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-136431